Key legislation

The Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry prepares legislation relating to the water economy in cooperation with the other ministries. The responsibilities of the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry include the preparation and implementation of the legislation on water supply and services, dam safety and basic drainage. The Ministry is also responsible for the implementation of the agreements on frontier rivers (transboundary watercourses) concluded with Sweden and Russia. A considerable proportion of the content of the Water Act and legislation on the management of waters is also concerned with the use and management of water resources. The main responsibility for the preparation relating to the Water Act rests with the Ministry of Justice, while the Ministry of the Environment has the main responsibility for preparing legislation on the organisation of river basin management and the EU Marine Strategy.

List of main statutes on the use and management of waters. For more statutes and agreements see the database of Finnish legislation Finlex.

Acts

Act on Support for Water Supply (686/2004)

Water Act (587/2011)

Dam Safety Act (494/2009)

Act on the Approval of Certain Regulations and Application of the Agreement with the Soviet Union Concerning the Draining of the Saimaa and Vuoksi Watercourses (1331/1991)

Act on Water Services (119/2001)

Act on the Financing of Rural Industries (329/1999)

Act on Support for Basic Drainage (947/1997)

Act on the Finnish Environment Institute (1069/2009)

Decrees

Dam Safety Decree (319/2010)

Decree on Support for Basic Drainage (530/1998)

Decree on Compensating for Damages due to Exceptional Floods (93/1995)